Too weak to stand on its feet after a series of defeats, Punjab Congress has decided to walk up to elections on crutches provided by alliances in the state. The party is now awaiting a green signal from the High Command.
After the results of the recently held Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, the party is now “seriously” considering to join hands with the left parties and other secular forces ahead 2014 lok Sabha elections.
Congress had forged an alliance with the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) at a local level at several places in the local body polls. The party had also made a pact with the Bahujan Samaj Party, in Doaba, considered to be BSP’s stronghold owing to maximum Dalit voters.
The development assumes significance from the fact that the Congress has all along been facing defeats after defeats in the elections that took place in Punjab over the past two years. Its continuous poll debacles, and incapability to dent the ruling SAD-BJP’s winning spree has advanced the party’s proposal to forging an alliance with the “like-minded” parties.
Sources in the party informed The Pioneer that state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa has himself put forth the proposal before the party High Command to start working for forming a united Opposition in the state.
“A proposal in this regard has been put before the High Command, and it will take the decision on it,” Bajwa said.
It has been learnt that a committee, headed by Union Defence Minister and senior party leader AK Antony, would take up the issue and make its recommendation on the proposal.
Party chief Bajwa has advocated forging an alliance with the PPP led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s estranged nephew Manpreet Badal.
In addition, he also made a strong pitch for the CPI, CPI (Marxist), BSP, and Shiromani Akali Dal (longowal). Already, PPP, CPI, CPI (M) and SAD (longowal) have formed a united front - Sanjha Morcha - that managed to pocket 5.17 per cent votes in the 2012 assembly polls that cost Congress a defeat.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had squarely blamed the PPP for spoiling the Congress’ chances of regaining power in the state after the Congress’ shocking defeat in 2012 assembly polls.
Though Congress faced defeat in the state assembly polls, it pocketed 40.11 per cent votes, against 34.75 per cent votes in favour of SAD, and 7.13 per cent for its ally, the BJP - adding upto 41.88 per cent.
Bajwa’s predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh had several times extended a friendly hand towards the PPP, and other Opposition parties in the state to form a “united opposition”, however, the same did not materialize. Carrying forward his proposal, Bajwa had also time and again advocated alliance with the left, democratic, and secular forces in the state to confront Akali Dal-BJP alliance in the forthcoming lok Sabha elections.
Despite the fact that Manpreet himself had proposed an alliance with Congress for a “stronger opposition” against the ruling SAD-BJP combine, he did not accepted the Congress’ repeated proposal of collectively fight against SAD-BJP’s anti-people policies.
On the other hand, the political analysts believed that the deal was not a distant reality, considering the fact that an enemy’s foe has the potential of being a companion. Moreover, the two parties need each other for maintaining their presence in the state.
However, the PPP is not coming out clear with the upcoming picture. “Punjab Congress and its high command are in discussion with the senior leaders of the PPP for the alliance but the matter is yet to be decided,” a senior PPP leader told The Pioneer.
Notably, PPP and the CPI have their own pockets of influence in the state. On other hand, CPI (M)’s base in Punjab has been windswept over the years. It won a seat in the Assembly polls in 1992 when the SAD boycotted the elections.
Moreover, the CPI has also made it clear its intentions of going in for state-specific alliances during its recently held national executive meet. Also, CPI had been contesting both Assembly and lok Sabha elections in alliance with the Congress.
The BSP, has already announced its candidates from the four seats. The party, which mainly draws its strength from Doaba region where the Congress has also performed well in Panchayati Raj polls, had made a dent in Congress’ support base during 2012 polls.